Can opener



W. A. THIEM V Oct. 16, 1951 CAN OPENER Filed May 5, 1949 l INVENTOR. Wfl/.1212A Tlf/EM ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTY OFFICE 2,571,310 `CAN OPENER Walter A. Thiem, Kankakee, Ill.

Application May 3, 1949, Serial No. 91,119

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a can opener, and more particularly to a hand-operated opener for punching holes in cans from which the contents can be poured.

In the opening of cans of beer, fruit juices, soups and other canned products which can be poured from an opening in the top of the can without completely cutting around the top of the can, itk is the common practice to use a handoperated opener which must be held in the hand and which must directly generate all of the force necessary for piercing the top of the can. Such openers are provided with a handle and a canpercing end between which is arranged a lug engageable beneath the bead ofthe can to act as a fulcrum for the pivoting of the opener uponthe application of an upward pulling force on the handle end of the opener. It is necessary, of course, to tightly grip and hold the can with one hand while performing the opening operation with the other. Such openers have the piercing ends thereof angularly pointed soas to cut out a section of the top of the can which is substantially triangular. The contents of the can are poured from the opening thus formed.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a hand-operated opener for piercing a pouring opening in the top of the can which may be hand-operated with great facility and which requires the use of only one hand in operating it. e

A further object is to provide such an opener which may be wall-mounted and which is of such character as to provide an assisting leverage through which the can. may be pierced with a minimum amount of eiort on the part of the operator, A further object is to provide a device of the character referred to wherein the advantages of a so-called broken lever are utilized to multiply the manual force applied by the op- -erator in opening a can, thus minimizing the force necessary for the can opening operation.

A further object is to provide such a device which is of such character that after it has been opened, the can may be directly horizontally withdrawn with the can in vertical position, thus preventing the spilling of any of they contents of the can.

A further object is to provide a novel guard for the cutting implement which covers the cutting implement when the device is not in operation but which automatically moves out of its normal position upon the initiationof a can opening operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a face view of the device,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View on line 2-2 of Figure 1, a can being shown in dotted lines in the initial operating position of the parts and the cutter guard being shown elevated in broken lines,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary face view of portions of the broken lever elements adjacent the pivotal connection thereof, and

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figures l, 2 and 3 the numeral I3 designates a vertically elongated base plate adapted to be secured by any suitable type of fastening means, such as screws II, against the surface of a wall I2. Adjacent its upper end, a housing It!Y is arranged, this housing being provided with outstanding flanges I4 preferably welded to the plate Ill. Two of the fastening elements II in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing pass through the flanges I4 in. securing the device to the wall.

The operating mechanism for the device comprises a broken lever indicated as a whole by the numeral I6 and comprises upper and lower lever elements Il and IB of preferably U-shaped cross section, thus providing the respective elements I1 and I8 with side iianges I9 and 20. The flanges I9 are provided with depending ears 22 through which passes a pivot pin 23 to pivotally connect the lever members I1 and I8 to each other.

The lever member I1 is provided at its upper end with a roller 25 (Figure 2) rotatably supported by a pin 26 between the flanges I9. The lever members Il and I8 normally occupy the relative positions shown in Figure 2 and ak torsion spring 28 tends to hold the parts in such position, the spring being shown as having a central portion 29 engaging the lever I8 and the ends 3D of the spring engaging portions of the anges I9.

n The lever member I1 extends below the pivot pin 23 and terminates in a piercing point 32 from which the lever I9 diverges upwardly as at 33, the shape of this piercing end of the lever I'I corresponding generally to the shape of the cutting ends of ordinary hand-operated can openers of the type referred to above. A guard 35, preferably of U-shaped cross section, as shown in Figure 5, is arranged over and substantially ts the lower end portion of the lever member I1. The guard 35 has depending flanges 36 pivotally connected as at 3l to the flanges I9. The lower end of the guard 35 is curved downwardly as at 38 over the piercing point 32 to cover the latter and thus protect persons adjacent the device from accidental injury.

The base I0 is provided preferably at its lower extremity with a pair of outstanding ears 40 between which the lever member I8 is pivoted by a pin 4I. The ilanges 20 of the lever I8 extend outwardly and are provided at their lower ends with outward extensions 42 forming rests to support a can 43 during the opening operation.

Operation As stated, the parts normally occupy the positions shown in Figure .2. Outward movement of the parts is limited by engagement of the lower extremity of the lever I8 with the outer face of the plate IIJ. When it is desired to open a can, the can is placed in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the bottom of the can being supported on the projections 42, the top edges of which are preferably perpendicular to the edges of the flanges 20. The lower` edge of the guard 35 terminates at such a point that a can of standard height readily can be moved therebeneath into the positions shown in Figure 2.

The operator then pushes inwardly on the can causing it to swing from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3. Upon initial movement of the can, the angle between the lever members II and I8 will start to increase and the end of the guard 35r engaging the top of the can Will start to slide thereacross, and after partial inward movement of the pivoted ends of the lever members, the point 32 will be brought into engagement with the top of the can. Further inward movement of the can will then cause the point 32 to pierce the can and a V-shaped cut will be formed in the can in accordance with the taper of the edges 33. The

cutting operation will be completed when the parts reach the position shown. in Figure 3. The can may then be removed by withdrawing it horizontally outwardly from the position shown in Figure 3 while holding the can vertically.

Upon relatively slight movement of the parts,

the bottom of the can will pass beyond the projections 42, whereupon the can may be moved vertically downwardly or its horizontal movement continued until the cutter moves out of the opening formed in the can. Thus it will be apa effect provided by the broken lever structure.

In accordance with the well known laws of physics in a device of this character, it will be obvious that the cutting force exerted by the cutting implement will increase in proportion to the manual force applied to the can as the lever members Il and I8 approach a position in alignment with each other. There will be substantial relatively angular movement of the lever elements I'I and I8 from the position of the point 32 in Figure 2 to the position of the point 32 when the latter initially engages the top of the can. In this connection, it will be noted that the point 32 in Figure 2 is raised a substantial distance above the top of the can when the parts are in normal position. At the point where engagement of the cutting element with the top of the can takes place, the angle between the levers I1 and I8 will materially increase and these elements will be approaching a straight line position. As is well known in a broken lever of this type, endwise forces increase as the angle between the lever arms increases, and the vertical forces approach infinity as a straight line arrangement of parts is approached. Forces on the piercing point will approach the vertical as the lever arms approach vertical position, and while the point 32 is oiset from the pivots of the levers when the latter are in vertical position as shown in Figure 3, the vertical forces nevertheless will be very great in proportion to the force exerted inwardly against the can. Accordingly, substantial leverage will be afforded at the initial point of piercing of the can and this leverage will increase through the remainder of the operation.

The device is particularly advantageous for use in taverns, restaurants and the like, wherein substantial numbers of cans of fruit juices, soups, beer, etc., are opened during the course of the day. It requires only one hand to operate the device, it being necessary merely to hold the can with one hand and the force required to be expended by such hand i's less than the force required merely to hold a can when opening it with a conventional hand-operated opener. The provision of the roller 25 obviously reduces to a minimum the friction tending to oppose upward movement of the upper end of the lever member I 'I during operation of the device.

Iclaim:

1. A can opener comprising a pair of members pivotally connected to each other adjacent one end, one of said members having a can top piercing portion adjacent said end thereof, and the other of said members having a can supporting portion, said members normally occupying a position angularly arranged relative to each other and movable from such normal position to approach a straight line relationship during which movement said piercing portion will move through the top of a can having its lower end mounted on said supporting portion, the other end of one of said members being mounted for movement toward and away from the other end of the other member in a plane substantially coincident therewith, and means for pivotally supporting said other end of said other member.

2. A can opener comprising a pair of members pivotally connected to each other adjacent one end, one of said members having a can top piercing portion adjacent said end thereof, and the other of said members having a can supporting portion, said members normally occupying a position angularly arranged relative to each other and movable from such normal position to approach a straight line relationship during which movement said piercing portion will move through the top of a can having its lower end mounted on said supporting portion, the other end of one of said members being mounted for movement toward and away from the other end of the other member in a plane substantially coincident therewith, means for pivotally supporting said other end of said other member, and spring means biasing said members to said normal position.

3. A can opener comprising an upper lever member and a lower lever member pivotally con- 'will move'v through the top of a can having its lower end mounted on said supporting portion, and a guard pivoted at its upper end to said upper lever member and normally depending downwardly thereover and having its lower end covering said piercing portion, whereby the lower end of said guard will be engageable with the top of the can to slide thereover away from said piercing portion to render the latter free to move through the top of the can.

4. A can opener comprising a base plate, a broken lever comprising a pair of members having adjacent ends pivotally connected to each other, the other end of one member being pivoted to said base plate and the other end of the other member being freely movable over said base plate toward and away from said other end of said one member, one of said adjacent ends of said members being extended beyond its pivotal connection with the other member and being shaped to provide a can top piercing portion and such zz.

other member adjacent its other end being provided with a support engageable with a c-an bottom whereby, when a can is arranged with its bottom on said support and said lever members are moved toward a position approaching :i

said one member, one of said adjacent ends of said members being extended beyond its pivotal connection with the other member and being shaped to provide a can top piercing portion and such other member adjacent its other end being provided with a support engageable with a can bottom whereby, when a can is arranged with its bottom on said support and said lever members are moved toward a position approaching alignment of such members, said piercing portion will pierce the can top, and spring means connected between the adjacent ends of said members to bias them toward said relative positions.

6. A can opener comprising a base plate adapted to be vertically arranged on a supporting surface, a broken lever comprising an upper lever member and a lower lever member normally angul-arly arranged relative to each other and having adjacent ends pivotally connected to each other, and means for pivotally connecting the lower end of said lower lever member to said base plate, the upper end of said upper lever member being vertically movable over said base plate, the lower end of said upper lever extending beyond the pivotal connection of the levers and shaped to provide a can piercing point, said lower lever having a can supporting portion adapted to engage the bottom of a can having its side engaging said lower lever whereby, upon the inward pushing of the can, said levers will be moved relative to each other to approach positions in alignment and said can piercing point will pierce the top of the can.

7. A can opener comprising a base plate adapted to be vertically arranged on a supporting surface, a broken lever comprising an upper lever member and a lower lever member normally Iangularly arranged relative to each other and having adjacent ends pivotally connected to each other, means for pivotally connecting the lower end of said lower lever member to said base plate, the upper end of said upper lever member being vertically movable over said base plate, the lower end of said upper lever extending beyond the pivotal connection of the levers and shaped to provide a can piercing point, said lower lever having a can supporting portion adapted to engage the bottom of a can having its side engaging said lower lever whereby-upon the inward pushing of the can, said levers will be moved relative to each other to approach positions in alignment and said can piercing point will pierce the top of the can, said upper end of said upper lever carrying a roller engaging said base plate, and resilient means biasing said lever members toward said normal position, said lower lever having a portion engaging said base plate to limit relative turning movement of said lever members at said relative normal position.

8. A can opener comprising a base plate adapted to be vertically arranged on a supporting surface, a broken lever comprising an upper lever member and a lower lever member normally angularly arranged relative to each other and having adjacent ends pivotally connected to each other, means for pivotally connecting the lower end of said lowei` lever member to said base plate, the upper end of said upper lever member being vertically movable over said base plate, the lower end of said upper lever extending beyond the pivotal connection of the levers and shaped to provide'a can piercing point, said lower lever having a can supporting portion adapted to engage the bottom of a can having its side engaging said lower lever, whereby, upon the inward pushing of the can, said levers will be moved relative to each other to approach positions in alignment and said can piercing point will pierce the top of the can, and a guard arranged over the lower end portion of said upper lever and having its lower end covering said piercing point, the upper end of said guard being pivotally connected to said upper lever whereby the lower end of said guard is free to swing upwardly relative to said piercing point when engaged by the top of the can,

9. A can opener comprising a base plate adapted to be vertically arranged on a supporting surface, a broken lever comprising an upper lever member and a lower lever member normally angularly arranged relative to each other and having adjacent ends pivotally connected to each other, means for pivotally connecting the lower end of said lower lever member to said base plate, the upper end of said upper lever member being vertically movable over said base plate, the lower end of said upper lever extending beyond the pivotal connection of the levers and shaped to provide a can piercing point, said lower lever having a can supporting portion adapted to engage the bottom of a can having its side engaging said lower lever, whereby, upon the inward pushing of the can, said levers will be moved relative to each other to approach positions in alignment and said can piercing point will pierce the top of the can, a guard arranged over the lower end portion of said upper lever and having its lower end covering said piercing point, the upper end of said guard being pivotally connected to said upper lever whereby the lower end of said guard is free to swing upwardly relative to said piercing point 5 when engaged by the top of the can, said upper end of said upper lever carrying a roller engaging said base plate, and resilient means biasing said lever members toward said normal position, said lower lever having a portion engaging said base plate to limit relative turning movement of said lever members at said relative normal position.

WALTER A. THIEM.

8 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 266,398 Stoddard Oct. 24, 1882 2,135,116 Shaffer Nov. 1, 1938 2,162,095 Maples June 13, 1939 10 2-280.336 Maihack ADr. 21, 1942 

